Presenting in London for the first time, immaculately-dressed sisters Phoebe and Annette Stephens were on hand to introduce the brand and reveal their design influences.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Phoebe and Annette were immersed in the art world at an early age, absorbing the creativity of their highly artistic family.  Father Luis Stephens is a painter and their grandfather Conlon Nancarrow was a progressive composer.

But was their grandmother – sculptor, painter and jewellery designer Annette Nancarrow – that particularly inspired their work.  Annette Nancarrow’s jewellery was collected and worn by creative luminaries including Frida Kahlo, Peggy Guggenheim, Elizabeth Arden and Anaïs Nin.

New York-based Phoebe and Annette founded Anndra Neen in 2009, bringing together their sisterly vision and instinctual style.

Hand-crafted in Mexico, the mixed metal pieces are bold, architectural and beautifully-made.  They draw on a range of historical and cultural references, including Mexican art, antique European jewellery, Egyptian and Bedouin motifs, Japanese design elements and French Medieval armour.

The pieces are powerful, feminine and warrior-like, with fluid lines and curves.  They look to artefacts of the past while maintaining a contemporary aesthetic.

The Alpaca silver woven cage clutch and the smaller cocoon-shaped clutch reminded me of the futuristic metal cage designs used by Yves Saint Laurent and Paco Rabanne.  Other favourite piece include the bold embellished and hammered metal cuffs and the rounded stud effect large bib necklace.

Delighted to win the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize, Phoebe and Annette Stephens said: “The prestige of the prize has helped project our work globally and take our brand to the next level”.

Anndra Neen will present their Autumn/Winter 2012 collection at Hôtel Plaza Athénée during Paris Fashion Week in March 2012.  Following their win, Anndra Neen will be designing a range of exclusive accessories for Dorchester Collection.

Anndra Neen is currently stocked at Browns, Avenue 32 and CoutureLab.

Fashion week is the best time to come shopping, as in my case, from spotting some pretty outlandish trends and creative individuals, I was inspired to become more open-minded about new trends and ideas, rather than worrying about what is most flattering.  That’s the essence of London style, no?

Ella’s Bakehouse was my first stop, as I needed a sugar rush, in the shape of a Malteser cupcake.  The adorable Bakehouse girls were on hand to serve up dozens of glittery cakes and they looked as cute as cupcakes in their red polka dot dresses.

Having never tried Ella’s cupcakes before, the Malteser cupcakes has made me a convert.  They have a similar dense and springy texture to Lola’s cupcakes and the icing is also thick but not too sugary.  The glitter on the top appealed to the five-year old in me, but eat it carefully, or you’ll end up with a sparkly ‘tache!

Completely avoiding the helpful information sign, I charged up and down the escalators on the hunt for the WAH Nails pop-up salon.  The WAH girls were busy applying metallic Minx nails when I arrived and there’s a display board and catalogue to help you decide which designs to go for.  Sharmadean Reid and her team are known for their amazing leopard print designs, but they can also interpret any trend from the catwalk just for your nails.

Vintage Academe’s designer dress exhibition was quite spectacular. They showed some amazing finds, from a Paco Rabanne silver sequin dress and Ossie Clark colour block dress to early twentieth century pieces by Paquin and Mainbocher.

On tuneage duty was Ali Cat (left) from electro-disco band GHOSTCAT with her DJ pal.  They were camped next to the Boutique section and played a set of Lady Gaga, 80s rock and soul.  See more of Ali Cat’s cool personal style on Show Me Your Wardrobe – something tells me she was an ice skater as a kid!

TOPSHOP Oxford Circus’ London Fashion Week in-store events are running all day until 23 February.